“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” Matthew 5:8
Many years ago, when our children were younger, we used a very simple demonstration to compare a pure heart with a dirty heart. We took two glasses of clean, drinkable water. The first glass was left alone but to the second glass we added a scoop of dirt and gave it a good stir. The children watched as the dirt quickly contaminated the clean water. Then we asked “Which would you rather drink?”
Of course, the kids all pointed to the glass of crystal clear water. But our lesson wasn’t over. The second half of the lesson was more to the point. “If this glass gets tipped over, which is the easier one to clean up?” The kids all agreed…the clean water was the winner again.
It’s easy to see where I’m going with this. The glasses symbolize our hearts. Just like the glasses, what is in our hearts will naturally spill out when we are faced with minor trip ups during the day or major trials and temptations of life. What comes out of a pure heart is not only much easier to clean up than that of a dirty one but it is also is a mark of a Christian.
Psalm 24:3 asks “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place?” The answer is found in the following verse “The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.”
CALL TO ACTION
So how do we pursue a pure heart?
Guard the Heart – Proverbs 4:23 teaches “above all else guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Guarding the heart prevents contamination. Remember the children’s song, “Oh be careful, little eyes, what you see?” Well, there’s wisdom in those lyrics! Take heed when it comes to what you (or your children) are taking in during the day. What comes in, whether good or bad, will affect what comes out!
Have a Thankful Heart – Think of it this way: guarding the heart serves as a filter for that which is incoming, and expressing thankfulness serves as an internal filter that ensures what comes out is clean and pure. This is harder said than done, isn’t it? If this is something you struggle with, slow down your response time! Count to 15 or 30 (or however long it takes) and find thankfulness in the circumstance before saying or doing something you may regret!
Soften the Heart – Hard-heartedness is the opposite of a pure heart. A heart that has been hardened by circumstances or relationships is one that rejects any sort of filter (guarding or thankfulness). A soft heart, on the other hand, recognizes the brokenness that we all suffer as humans. In other words, a soft heart acknowledges that things aren’t always going to go our way…and that’s okay!
Take a moment to reflect on the state of your heart. Does it need some filtering – incoming or outgoing? Some softening? What about the tender hearts of your children? Pursue pure hearts as a family and together you will ascend the heavenly climb!
